Tuesday, 31 October 2017

7 Reasons You Should Assign Your Cross-Country Move to Professionals

It’s not very often that a small business decides to make a cross-country move. When that happens, though, it’s a very big deal. If you’re thinking about a cross-country move for your small business, consider the following before you make your final decision.

Most people move at least eleven times during their lives. Most of these relocations are job-related, while others are to be closer (or further away from) family, shorten an employment commute, or simply to have a change of scenery and experience something new.

Small, in-town jobs, such as transporting a few estate sale furniture items or moving a college student into a nearby university’s dorm room, are tailor made for U-Haul and other truck rentals. But anything larger than that usually requires a team of interstate movers. Professional movers are an investment, but it is usually one of the best investments you’ll ever make.

1. Avoid Injury

Most moves involve heavy or bulky items, such as sofas or beds. Furniture like this is really not safe to move with one or two people, especially considering that each move involves two trips (one out to the truck and the other into the new house or apartment).

Overexertion injuries can be quite serious, and if you do not know exactly what you are doing, it is very easy to use the wrong technique.

2. Preserve Relationships

No matter what they say, your friends and family do not like moving and do not want to help you. A long day of moving, regardless of the promised benefit, can strain even the closest relationships.

Besides, how many times have your friends promised to be at a certain place at a certain time and did not appear? For that matter, how many times have you promised to be somewhere and not shown up, for whatever reason? Reliable movers eliminate the risk of the nightmarish no-help move.

3. Save Time

Moving day is full of non-moving activities. There are utilities to set up, neighbors to meet, and plans to make. Partnering with a moving company ensures that you have plenty of time for these and other endeavors. Plus, the self-move almost always takes longer than anticipated, and by the end, everyone is completely exhausted.

4. The Right Equipment

Truck rental involves a lot of guesswork, as it is very easy to rent a truck that’s either too small or too large. That either means an extra trip or money wasted. Moreover, rented trucks do not come with hand tools and other necessary items.

A professional mover solves both these problems. Because the movers usually pre-size your load, they know what kind of truck is best. Furthermore, because they are experienced, they have all the little tools needed to make your move run a bit smoother.

5. Liability

If you or your friends lose or damage an item, the replacement cost comes out of your pocket. But on the off chance that professional movers lose or damage an item, they are usually insured against that loss. Most companies offer various insurance levels, so you can choose the one that best suits the nature of the valuables in the truck.

6. Safety

Navigating a large, fully loaded moving truck through unfamiliar territory, especially if it is dark or the weather is at all uncooperative, is a recipe for disaster. Furthermore, even if you have insurance on the truck, it often does not cover your own injuries.

7. Less Money

When considering all these factors, plus the cost of fuel, compensating moving help, and other expenses, hiring professional movers nearly always either saves money or at least comes out even. Professional movers also give you peace of mind, which is a priceless commodity.

For various reasons, the do-it-yourself move is usually a mistake that you’ll regret, so for your next relocation, work with a professional.

The post 7 Reasons You Should Assign Your Cross-Country Move to Professionals appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2017/10/31/assign-cross-country-move-professionals/

Blogger Outreach: What Can It Do for You?

As a businessperson, you’re certainly familiar with various online marketing tools. You have no doubt purchased banner ads or used some sort of social media marketing, but have you considered blogger outreach?

If you’re a more traditional businessperson, you might think that blogs don’t have much of an impact. You might think blogger outreach wouldn’t be worth your time.

However, blogs are a dominant force in the marketing world. People trust blogs more than they trust television, news, and advertisements. Blogs seem more approachable, more human. Therefore, blogger outreach can make a big difference in your profits.

Here, we’ll tell you all about what blogger outreach can do for your business and give you some ways you can start targeting bloggers.

What Is Blogger Outreach?

Blogger outreach is a fancy term that just means you reach out to bloggers. Your aim is to get them to write and publish content about or featuring one of your products.

Blogger outreach is an excellent marketing technique. It can even be less expensive and more effective than your other marketing strategies.

By reaching out to blogs and getting bloggers to generate organic content for you, you gain access to their audience.

If, for instance, a blogger writes a review of your product, you gain their followers’ support, simply because the blogger supported your product. You’d be amazed at how many people use bloggers to determine which products they will buy.

Blogger Outreach Can Help You Boost Your Business

Business owners like you make use of blogger outreach to gain more customers. They know blogger outreach gives them access to a wider audience.

Bloggers are a bigger deal these days than ever before. And once you’ve found a single successful blogger who is interested in writing about your product, more are bound to follow.

Bloggers Are Influential in the Market

When consumers are in the mood to buy, they frequently visit review sites and blogs they feel they can trust. As a matter of fact, these are some of the most frequently visited sites on the Internet. What’s more, people trust bloggers’ reviews of products. They want to buy the products they endorse.

On the other hand, if a popular blogger has a complaint about one of your products, it’s can be a public relations nightmare, so be certain that your product does what you say it does and that your customer service is top notch.

If you play your cards right, though, blogger outreach can be a relatively inexpensive way to run a successful marketing campaign.

Good for Both the Blogger and You

What’s good for your business is good for the blogger as well. Your business will gain an endorsement, some advertising, and some inexpensive marketing. The blogger will enjoy some financial gain as well as content that’s easy to produce. Additionally, you could sweeten the deal by offering them free merchandise—at least a sample of your product for the blogger to try and review.

What’s more, if you make the effort to develop a personal relationship with the blogger, they might just share your information with their network of other bloggers, reaping you a fine harvest of more platforms from which to advertise.

So, How Do You Get Started with Blogger Outreach?

First, do some research. You want to find the perfect match between your business and a good blogger. So target a blog whose audience would most benefit from your product. This will ensure the highest likelihood of those people purchasing your product.

Once you’ve selected the perfect blog, it’s time to contact the blogger. Whether you choose to email their website, email the blogger directly, or find a way to write a letter or call the blogger, you should include the following:

Your business name, your name, and your contact information.
Why you’re contacting them. Use this as a means to tell them about your product. Include what you hope to achieve by contacting them.
Everything they might need to know about your product. But remember, you want to sell them on your product as much as you want to inform them about it. You are still trying to convince them to do this, after all.
What’s in it for them. Include at least one compelling reason why they should help you.
Always end with a thank you.

blogger outreach2

There are several blogger outreach tools that can help with the process. However, it is often better to select a premium blogger outreach service that will help you to get the results you want more quickly.

Blogger outreach can make all the difference in your business’s success. It’s an inexpensive and extremely successful marketing technique that can really help to get your business’s name out there while also boosting your product’s public image.

The post Blogger Outreach: What Can It Do for You? appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2017/10/31/blogger-outreach/

Sunday, 29 October 2017

4 Ways to Streamline Your Airbnb Business

If you own a lot of rental properties, you already know that you need to find ways to maximize the cash flow from these investments. To that end, since the advent of Airbnb, many hosts have started listing their properties for rent on this site.

With the right approach and a little help, you will be able to reduce the amount of time that you spend handling the details of renting your property. That will give you more time to enjoy the profit this can generate. Here are just some of the ways you can make Airbnb management easier and more efficient.

1. Engage the Right Cleaning Service

The main thing you need to consider when you’re trying to keep your Airbnb appealing is keeping it clean. Therefore, after guests check out, you have to make sure the rental is cleaned thoroughly.

If you are like most people, you do not have the time to do this type of work on your own. This is especially true if you are a host with multiple listings. Ideally, you will want to hire a cleaning service that is available 24/7 and experienced in the cleaning of Airbnb rentals.

Get a few onsite estimates to narrow down the list of available cleaning companies in your area. In case you don’t want to spend too much for cleaning company services, you can hire a cleaner who will do the job. Ask your friends for recommendations. Sometimes even in your neighborhood you can find some outstanding candidates.

2. Find the Right Automation Software

Keeping up with all of the details of renting an Airbnb can be difficult. Rather than making mistakes regarding the managing of your vacation rental business, getting Airbnb automation software is a great option.

When you’re looking for software to use for this purpose, you will need to get an idea of the jobs it can handle. Getting a piece of comprehensive software to help with things like communications with guests, bookings, maintenance and customer management is a great way to save time and effort.

Especially take into account that some of them, like AirGMS, offer a free subscription plan. In order to find out more about a particular software, however, you will need to do your homework. Find out what other Airbnb owners have to say about a particular program. By doing this, you will have no problem narrowing the selection of available automation programs out there.

Also, there are some software review platforms like G2Crowd where you can compare different options.

3. Get Help with Your Airbnb Finances

Before starting to rent out your home or apartment on Airbnb, you need to set up a separate account for the income this will generate. Trying to put this money into a personal bank account will create a lot of problems when tax time rolls around.

You will also need to seek out some help from an accountant as well to keep your finances straight. They will help you with managing your money as well as the taxes that you have to file each year. Additionally, you will be able to find out what type of tax deductions you can qualify for. The last thing you want to do is pass up a chance to write off some of the expenses associated with owning a rental property due to a lack of knowledge.

4. Buy Supplies from One Place

Usually, you will have a variety of supplies to buy in order to keep your Airbnb rental looking great. The best thing you can do when you need supplies is to buy them from one place. By doing this, you will be able to get the best possible deal.

If at all possible, set up a commercial account so you can get the supplies you need tax-free. You will have to do a bit of research in order to figure out which of the suppliers in your area can offer you the best deal on the things you need. The time you invest into this research will pay off when you are able to make an informed decision.

The post 4 Ways to Streamline Your Airbnb Business appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2017/10/29/streamline-airbnb-business/

Business Leaders Changing the Throwaway Culture

For years, businesses around the globe have been involved in a throwaway culture. In plain English terms, if something was broken, or merely out of date, we simply discarded it without a second thought.

Now, times are changing.

Business leaders are realizing that this somewhat lazy approach has all sorts of negative consequences. What’s more, we can avoid many of these consequences through a shrewd reversal of the process.

Let’s take a look at how this culture is slowly but surely changing. We will see that both businesses and the world as a whole are benefiting as a result.

What Kinds of Items Are Affected?

Firstly, let’s talk about the type of items which are affected or were previously affected by the throwaway culture.

A prime example could be appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators and similarly bulky items. Due to the large and complex nature of these machines, many businesses simply threw them away. Hence the term “throwaway culture.”

Now, the change in culture results in businesses engaging the likes of Service Force, with the aim of repairing such items and rendering them like new again. It’s a renewal process, rather than one which results in completely new items.

It doesn’t just have to be about electronics and similar devices, though. Recently, a business was pitching renewable mannequins on the British television show Dragons’ Den. This highlights just how far away we are getting from the throwaway culture that was once so prevalent.

The Cost Factor

The throwaway culture also relates to a monumental change in the way in which business leaders view costing. Whether this is due to the economy or just a change in philosophy is difficult to say.

However, several years ago firms were happy to immediately discard items and replace them with brand new ones. Now, different measures mean that businesses now favor the repair-and-renew approach. This means that the initial cost is much lighter and companies don’t have to invest in brand new equipment anywhere near as frequently.

It’s All About Going Green

While costing is always going to be a key part of this equation, there’s no doubt that the world’s green movement is also crucial.

Both the public and authorities are pressuring business leaders to do more for the environment. Some industries in particular have been found to contribute huge sums to the carbon emissions picture. For this reason, it’s useful to focus on the appliances industry again.

Previously, people simply discarded items such as refrigerators in landfills. This prompted all sorts of environmental problems. Eventually, municipalities began charging large sums to companies in order to dispose of them correctly.

What this means is that costing and green issues go completely hand-in-hand. Because there are financial repercussions of not going green, companies are changing the way they think.

Ultimately, as governments attempt to meet the high green targets that they have set for themselves, one can only assume that business leaders will come under even more pressure to aid with this in the future.

The post Business Leaders Changing the Throwaway Culture appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2017/10/29/changing-throwaway-culture/

How Businesses Use Free Offers to Drive Traffic and Conversions

Whether it’s a brick-and-mortar business or a pure online one, giving customers something for free can attract more customers and lead toward more sales or other business goals.

To determine what is going to be good for your business, take a look at your business marketing goals. Do you want increased foot traffic? More clicks on your Google Ads? Higher purchase values for each transaction? More conversions per click? More leads for your database?

Free offers can help to enhance a great many of your marketing goals. For example, with your free makeover at the Lancome counter, you actually need to purchase their products in return for receiving the makeover. In fact, 60% of department store makeup counters use free offer strategies to drive business.

That free toy that comes along with the McDonald’s Happy Meal for your kids. The free ebook that you obtain from an SEO website. These are not simply goodwill gestures. They are designed to drive business.

Free Samples for Increasing Purchase Values

No obligation sampling

Generally, if you are offering a no-obligation sample, you’ll need to have a lower-cost product with a high markup price. This will offset the amount you’ll lose by giving away free samples. Naturally, you’ll be in the hope that a great enough percentage of samplers will indeed buy your product. Also think about add-on products they might purchase at the same time. This can drive up the overall purchase costs.

You’ll see examples of no-obligation sampling in taste testing in supermarkets, free samples of the latest drink at busy train stations, and so on.

Free gift with purchase

Gift with purchase (GWP) offers can work triple time to convert customers. A customer could be more compelled to purchase an item if they get something for free, depending on the item’s perceived value. If the product is “good enough” they might go on to purchase the item in the future. Further, if it’s paired with a luxury item, the perceived cost of the GWP increases.

Examples of this include beauty products where you might receive a sample size of a different product upon purchase of a specific product.

Free win with every purchase

A mutation of the free gift with purchase, this free offer is one where every purchase receives a gift, but the gift and value vary. You’ll have seen these where the top gift is a car and mid-range gifts might be some headphones, with the bottom tier gifts of a particular song download. These type of “lucky dip” style free gift with purchase promotions might not be as effective as other types.

Free Downloadable Ebook, Case Study or Research Piece for Lead Generation

Many service-based businesses employ this tactic on their websites to capture visitors’ names and emails (and sometimes business names) to add to their lead databases.

They typically will offer things such as:

An in-depth ebook with specific information

An example is an ebook that covers some of the insider knowledge that a business uses themselves within the course of their own operations. For instance, a digital marketing agency might offer an ebook on the basics of online marketing. The ebook will be in depth enough to offer some actionable insights for the reader. However, it will also be positioned to make them realize how time-consuming the actual work of online marketing can be. This leads the reader to the conclusion that it would be better to trust the work to a digital marketing agency, such as the provider of the ebook.

A case study

Case studies do double duty when it comes to bringing in potential customers. On the one hand, if you are browsing a business website and you’re looking to see their work in action, you’ll be very interested in reading an in-depth case study of how they’ve already transformed another business. On the other hand, if you’re looking for case studies of, for instance, changing over a database system, and you stumble across their example, you could be interested in their business services if you decide their case study is too difficult to implement by yourself.

A research piece

Cold, hard facts and well constructed research pieces, including statistics with large sample sizes, can lead to trust in a business. In-depth research pieces can help to elevate a business to an authoritative source on a subject. As with case studies, visitors can find these research pieces as they’re viewing your site. Or people who are searching for the best evidence on a given subject could run across them, too. The Google page ranking algorithm incorporates a site’s authority rating into its calculations, as well.

Free Plays to Encourage Further Plays

Businesses in the entertainment sphere have long been using free plays as a manner in which to elicit further plays. This is particularly useful in the gaming sector. There are a number of ways in which you might have seen this.

Free tokens in mobile game apps to encourage purchasing them after

Games like Candy Crush are a free app, where a consumer gets a certain number of tokens each day to play for free. The games are highly addictive. Further, they have been designed with the perfect balance of free tokens to get you hooked. Once you run out of free tokens for the day, you need to wait to refresh them. If you don’t want to wait, you can purchase more at the shop, where they are often shown as big discounts for a high number of tokens, encouraging you to buy more because it’s “a good deal.”

Free episodes of a TV series to encourage you to continue watching

Our viewing habits have changed over the years. We now live in a TV and video watching environment where we can get content on demand. The majority of this content is not free, however. Often, streaming services will offer a few free episodes of a TV series to help to whet your appetite to watch more. Of course, you can purchase more on their site.

Free plays for a game or software to encourage purchase

With digital gaming, you’ve also got the free plays option. That is, digital game sites offer a limited number of game plays before requiring you to make a purchase. Software houses also offer this with things like a 30-day trial period to test out their software, and they lock the software after that time. Once the free plays are gone or the time is up, you need to purchase in order to continue. An example of this is free spins offered at online casinos, after which you’ll need to place money down. For example, you can check out No Deposit Friend, a site dedicated to free game play with the chance of winning real money.

Which of These Tactics Will Work for Your Business?

There are many different permutations of using free offers to drive traffic toward your business, as well as convert that traffic into actual sales. It pays to take notice of the free offers surrounding you both online and in person. If you notice similar types of free offers popping up everywhere, chances are that it’s already a proven marketing technique.

Be aware that not every free offer marketing technique is going to suit your business. For instance, that online marketing company down the road might offer a free ebook and have it bring in lots of customers and traffic. However, if you have an ice-cream shop, then an ebook on your website isn’t going to perform particularly well for traffic or sales. You are better off advertising free sample sizes of your ice-cream via online coupons.

To find out the best free offers that will work for your business, sit down and think about your business goals, your customer audience, and what might appeal specifically to them. It is only once you nail these things that you will be able to strategically craft your next marketing campaign with freebies as the basis. Your success depends entirely on whether or not you have your strategy outlined to the best of your abilities.

The post How Businesses Use Free Offers to Drive Traffic and Conversions appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2017/10/29/free-offers-drive-traffic-conversions/

How to Improve Your Business Operations with Technology

Ask yourself, “How can my business operations benefit from technology?”

Many businesses have been profitable for decades without ever integrating technology into their day-to-day business operations. However, businesses who fail to adapt to modern technology are slowly fading into the background. Just look at how quickly Uber overtook the taxi industry. It may be time for you to consider integrating innovative technology into your business, if you haven’t done so already.

Below, we discuss several types of technology that can benefit almost any type of business, whether it’s small or large.

Create a Website

If your business doesn’t already have a website, you’re about 20 years behind. This means that 99% of modern businesses are ahead of you in the race for customers.

Taking a business online can be one of the best decisions any company can make. In fact, a website can help you expand your sales and services into new markets, something that is not possible with a solely brick-and-mortar business.

Today, just about every company has a website. Most use their websites for marketing and advertising purposes. Why? Because every consumer is on the web.

When you have a website, your customers and potential customers will be able to access your company information. You can share with them how your company operates and the types of services and products you offer. Simply put, a website can help to transform your ordinary business into a profitable empire within only a few years.

Have Instant Communications with Customers

In the modern world, just about everyone is on their tablet or cellphone for at least 12 hours every day. While most people have access to a landline or cellphone, they now turn to text messaging for a large portion of their communication.

Offering text support or updates can help to improve enormously the level of your company’s customer service. Your customer service department will find text and email messaging extremely beneficial. No longer will they need to rely solely on phones to communicate with customers.

Text services can also be used to solve resolve service issues, communicate with several customers simultaneously, and contact consumers all over the world.

Take Advantage of Teleconferencing

Back in the day, face-to-face meetings were the only way business owners could communicate with other businesses and their employees. Today, however, more and more companies are turning to teleconferencing technology to speak with an unlimited number of people, no matter where those people are, from the comfort of their own office.

Establish Better Communication with Your Employees

Every boss or manager needs to communicate with his or her employees. Sure, sometimes you might have to give them some bad news, but other times you have to communicate to make sure that goals are clear.

Email has been a common method of communication for a while now, but email is not appropriate for some communications. Now, applications like Skype and Slack are becoming more commonly used for internal communications.

These software systems also have apps, and everyone has a phone. They allow you to stay in touch at all times.

Increase Productivity

Whether you are running a large accounting firm or a small home repair business, technology can greatly improve your productivity and performance. With access to the right software, for instance, you can easily keep track of customers’ payment history, and even issue invoices.

You can even set some tasks up to run automatically, so that you don’t have to assign an employee to complete them. This will free them up for other projects.

Entice Customers with Video Marketing

In today’s world there truly are hundreds of different ways for businesses to tackle marketing. Unfortunately, even with all of these options, it’s hard to find something that hasn’t already been overdone.

This is where video marketing comes in. Yes, it has been done before, but it’s an underused tactic that most businesses haven’t figured out how to utilize efficiently.

On the other hand, take the moving service Bellhops as an example. They used video marketing to connect with college students who were looking for a job.

Don’t Get Left Behind

So get on the technology train now. Pick and choose from the technological options at your disposal, and improve your business operations almost at once.

The post How to Improve Your Business Operations with Technology appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2017/10/29/improve-business-operations-technology/

Should I Be Using Business Broadband?

Whether you should be using residential or business broadband largely depends on the type of business you run. However, each has its advantages and disadvantages.

Research and Review

Business broadband has a good many benefits. If you’re a regular user it makes sense to choose a business broadband package. Check out broadband comparison sites to see what other people have to say about the providers in your area. This can help you choose the right Internet service provider as well as pick the right package the first time.

A speedy, reliable broadband service is imperative to the success of any business. The question is, does your business need a specialized business broadband connection? Or will a less expensive residential broadband service be good enough for your needs?

Immediate Help with Disruptions

Most of the leading broadband providers offer business broadband. The best of these providers make every effort to get your connection up and running immediately in the case of disruptions. Of course, the best scenario is to avoid these disruptions entirely, but that’s not always possible.

Business broadband deals offer around-the-clock customer support. This differs from home broadband customer support, which is only available at selected times and days. Also, with business broadband, the quality and speed of your connection will not be affected by the usage patterns of other customers. For example, it won’t slow down during those busy times of the day. You probably already know this can be a hugely frustrating situation.

Greater Security

A big problem today, both at home and in business, is security. If your home computer gets hacked you’ll encounter endless frustrations and inconveniences. On the other hand, if your business broadband is compromised it can spell total calamity. Moreover, customers are not very sympathetic when it comes to your business’s Internet problems.

Business broadband services come with much higher grade of security software. This higher level of security can help you avoid business disruptions caused by viruses and hackers.

Additionally, business and home routers differ. At home, you might only need to connect a few computers. However, with a business, you’ll need a larger router, one that provides much larger coverage. What’s more, the security that accompanies a business broadband includes a firewall and a server for a virtual private network, or VPN.

With a residential broadband service, you get a unique IP address to identify your computer that changes each time you connect to the Internet. The beauty with business broadband is that you’ll get a static continuous IP address. With a static IP address, you can host your own website. You can also host your own server for when your business needs to receive large files. This also means that your clients will always be able to connect to your server without complications.

More Speed and Reliability

There is no denying that the Internet is something nearly every 21st-century business relies on. In fact, the Internet allows businesses to reach a global market. Therefore, speed and reliability are essential.

Some other factors to look for when you’re choosing business broadband include:

Business voice (VoIP). With business voice you can have an inclusive VoIP business line for all calls.
Web hosting and email addresses
Extranet where information can be stored and shared in a password-protected environment and backed up each day
PC security for protection from viruses and hackers
Leased or dedicated lines

Where to Get Good Deals

Whether you choose to go with Vodafone, TalkTalk, Virgin Media or another service provider, do your research. You’ll find some good broadband deals right now. Virgin Media Business, for instance, has fixed price offers with no deceptive catches.

The best part is that you’ll get the fastest speeds in the market. Additionally, there is no line rental fee, plus you get customer support around the clock with a 48-hour response. If you decide to go for business broadband, do comparison shopping first. Then you can enjoy excellent service while staying ahead of your competitors.

The post Should I Be Using Business Broadband? appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2017/10/29/business-broadband/

The Best Business Ideas for People Who Like to Help Others

There are plenty of business ideas out there, but some are more rewarding than others. If you’re the type of individual who wants to help others, you’ll easily be able to find an opportunity to do so. And, there is a pretty good chance that you’ll be able to make money all the while.

What types of careers can you choose that will allow you to make money and help out, too? You’ll find out in this short guide.

Marriage Counselor

There is no doubt that marriage can be enormously difficult. Even the best marriages in the world are going to experience ups and downs. With that being said, couples are going to need assistance at some point or another. This can be a great opportunity for you. If you’re a good negotiator, there is a good chance that you’ll make a good marriage counselor. This can be a very rewarding job. Just imagine being partially responsible for helping a couple stay together.

This is one of these business ideas that can lead to a well paying line of work.

Senior Sitter

Lots of seniors want to live alone. Unfortunately, a lot of older people need assistance getting around and completing mundane tasks. Wouldn’t you like to be able to ensure that a senior is able to maintain their independence and the highest quality of life possible? By becoming a senior sitter, you’ll be able to do just that. You’ll be able to enter a senior citizen’s life and help them from day to day. This will allow the senior citizen to continue living in their home. On top of that, they’ll be grateful for your help.

Credit Counseling

Here is another in our list of business ideas for people who like to help others.

A lot of people are unable to manage their money. This can cause them to get into serious trouble at some point. Therefore, credit counseling has become a very popular career.

If you consider yourself to be a credit expert, there is a good chance that you’ll be able to help others. By becoming a credit counselor, you’ll be able to help others better manage their money. You’ll also be able to tell them how to improve their credit, so they can live a more fruitful life in the future.

With your assistance, they’ll be able to get ahead and have a better chance of being a success in the future.

Career Counseling

Everyone needs a good job in order to survive in this day and age. Unfortunately, some people have a terrible time getting a job or finding viable work. This is why a lot of people enlist the help of a career counselor.

Do you have what it takes to guide someone to a brand-new career? Can you teach someone how to improve their career prospects? Just imagine, you could be responsible for mentoring the world’s next millionaire. This can be a very rewarding job and you’ll be making a big difference in the world.

And of course, there is a good chance that you’ll be able to make plenty of money as a career counselor. What else could you ask for?

A Final Word

So if you want to help others and make a good living at the same time, consider one of these business ideas.

The post The Best Business Ideas for People Who Like to Help Others appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2017/10/29/business-ideas-help-others/

How Can a Small Company Differentiate Itself in a Crowded Industry?

In any industry dominated by big brand names and well known players an independent company needs a unique selling point. Only in this way can they differentiate themselves from their larger competitors. It’s not enough just to compete on price. That’s because pricing is a risky long-term business strategy that is difficult for smaller companies to win.

Consumers Have Lots of Choices

In many industries, especially with the growth of online retailers, consumers can be spoiled by too many choices. For instance, they can choose from the well known nationwide brands with prominent brick-and-mortar locations. Or they can buy from small online retailers through marketplaces such as Amazon. And they have the choice of just about every other option in between.

But all this choice doesn’t necessarily make it easier for the consumer to make the right decision. Sometimes having too many options can make their decisions harder. People who feel overwhelmed with choices tend to go with brands they trust. Or they simply choose with their wallets and buy cheap through Amazon and the like.

RELATED ARTICLE: 5 BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES

Where Does This Leave Your Business?

So where does that leave the established, small- to medium-sized companies who have yet to make a big name for themselves?

Many smaller, independent companies have had to find ways to compete. Their rivals are either larger and better known or they are small companies who don’t have the overheads of premises and other business expenses.

One such independent company, the self-storage provider Storing.com, has been able to thrive. They do this by bucking the trend of confusing and often misleading discounts commonplace in their industry. Instead, they offer clear, fixed prices all the time. This is a rarity in the self-storage industry where most pricing models are based on high introductory discounts. The downside of these discounts for the consumer is the freedom on the part of the providers to increase prices with little notice.

Catering to Customers’ Demands

Storing.com conducted their own research to find out what consumers didn’t like about their larger rivals. They wanted to learn what was missing from their competitors’ services. What became clear was that self-storage customers wanted a pricing model that was easy to understand. They didn’t like unexpected price hikes. They also wanted extras, such as collection and delivery services. Such services would make it easier for them to get their possessions to their storage unit and retrieve them at the end of the storage period.

There are thousands of self-storage providers across the country. As a matter of fact, there has been massive expansion of the industry since Storing.com first started. Much of this is due to the increasing availability and falling cost of warehouse space.

How You, Too, Can Differentiate Yourself

This level of growth has meant that smaller independent self-storage providers have been forced to find ways to differentiate their companies from their larger rivals. However, the advantage that smaller, independent companies have is that they can adapt easily to a changing market.

This is true of smaller companies in any industry sector. Smaller companies can be flexible enough to introduce services that are lacking in their larger competitors. Plus, they have lower overheads. These advantages enable them to be competitive on pricing without underpricing their services.

Cost is obviously a factor for all consumers. However, in this digital age many people make buying choices through social media recommendations and by reading online reviews. This is where small companies can really compete. Online marketing can help smaller companies to gain a proportionately larger share of a crowded market than might otherwise be expected.

Storing.com has more than doubled their customer base in the past year. They do this by focusing on clear pricing that is a good value and fixed for 5 years. In addition, they provide services such as free collection and delivery with their own vehicles.

Focusing on the Long Term

In the case of Storing.com, they have a sister logistics business. This means they have vehicles that deliver goods daily to large retail outlets. However, these vehicles were returning empty to their warehouse facilities.

With a creative stroke of business genius, they developed a business model that satisfied customers’ desires for collection and delivery services. They do this by using the vehicles’ return journey, when they would otherwise be empty, to transport self-storage customers’ possessions to their facilities.

This strategy is more cost-effective and hassle-free for customers than hiring a van or using their own vehicle. Professional two-person teams accompany each vehicle, giving customers peace of mind. They know their possessions are in safe hands on the journey to or from the self-storage facility.

This unique selling point focuses on providing services that are missing from their rivals’ offerings. At the same time, it also provides good value at a fixed price. This means that Storing.com can offer self-storage services that even its largest rivals cannot.

This business model has contributed to its growing success. And it’s a long-term strategy that that they can sustain because of their working partnership with their sister logistics company.

The post How Can a Small Company Differentiate Itself in a Crowded Industry? appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2017/10/29/differentiate-crowded-industry/

How to Avoid Some Common Small-Business Mistakes

Starting a small business is no easy task. What’s more, scaling it up to be a successful one is like walking down a road filled with landmines. You’re bound to make mistakes, and plenty of them.

The key to success can often be learning from others’ mistakes. That, and getting back up and trying again whenever the inevitable happens.

Have you ever made mistakes as a small-business owner? Who hasn’t? In this post we talk about some common mistakes that other small-business owners have made. Read and learn, and perhaps you can avoid these errors.

Failing to Plan

As Benjamin Franklin said, when you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Without an effective plan, you will struggle whenever it’s time to make those tough decisions about your business. Indecisiveness itself can lead to further blunders. In order to avoid this situation, create a business plan.

However, make sure your plan is based on thorough market research. Make sure you understand your target customers. After all, it’s for them that you are creating your products or services.

Going into the Wrong Type of Business

Be sure you’re choosing a business that’s right for you. If your heart isn’t in it, you’ll never be able to overcome the difficulties and find your way to success.

If you study the lives of people who’ve been successful in business, you’ll see that they started by simply doing something they were good at, something they loved to do. Success followed their passion, not the other way around.

Once again, though, do some market research. If no one wants to buy what you’re selling, your business will never get off the ground.

Failing to Go Digital

Most business these days need to go digital in order to succeed. Even a local business such as a gardening service can benefit from social media marketing. Other businesses, such as freelancing, can be based strictly online. Whatever you intend to do with your small business, failing to take advantage of the wide reach the Internet can give you can be a big mistake.

Not Relying on Traditional Advertising

All the same, don’t rule out the importance of traditional forms of advertising, such as printed brochures, fliers, and business cards. Here, GotPrint has got you covered. Even a small-business owner who operates completely online can benefit from having business cards to pass out at networking events.

Stay connected with your target customers and clients by making use of printed materials such as banners, business cards, and fliers. Printed materials will complete your 360-degree marketing campaign.

Underpricing Your Services or Products

Competition is high in most industries these days, and it can be tempting to try to remain competitive by pricing your products and services lower and lower.

However, most of your customers will understand that they get what they pay for. Good clients and customers will be willing to pay a fair price for a job well done or a product that works the way it’s supposed to.

There’s a psychological factor involved, too. If you don’t value your products and services appropriately, who will? Besides, if your prices are so low that your business is failing to make a profit, you might as well not even be in business. So don’t make the mistake of underpricing your products and services.

There You Have It

So, there you have it. Avoid these common mistakes that many small-business owners before you have made and your road to success can be a little less bumpy.

The post How to Avoid Some Common Small-Business Mistakes appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2017/10/29/common-small-business-mistakes/

The Dangers of Do-It-Yourself SEO

If you’re the type of person to start your own business, it’s most likely that you’ve got a can-do spirit. You’ll try just about anything on your own. In many cases, that means not asking for help or hiring it. When something comes up, you generally think you might be able to tackle it yourself. Then you set about doing a little research or self-training.

That might work for some aspects of your business. However, the idea that a business owner who’s not already skilled in best practices for SEO can simply take on that all-important aspect of online marketing can be a costly one.

SEO stands for search engine optimization. It’s a way your self-started business can compete with local or even national competitors. You do this by maximizing your company’s appearance on search engines. This ensures that people who are looking for the products you sell or the services you render can find them by finding you.

But, as Anthony Novikov, the CEO of Nova Solutions Miami, a top internet marketing firm explains, you shouldn’t take SEO lightly. Nor should it be handled by an amateur in the field. “There are so many elements to it that go beyond just throwing some keywords together on a website,” Anthony says. “The uninitiated can end up doing more harm than good by trying to take this on by themselves. It’s just a little too complicated and time-consuming to be handled by a person who’s also trying to run a business.”

Why You Need SEO Help

When a person takes on the task of doing his or her own SEO marketing for their business, they might be making crucial mistakes and not even realize it. Many people understand the importance of keywords, but they don’t know how to use them to attract the search engines. “The danger of just throwing a lot of keywords into a piece of copy on a company website is that Google or Bing or whoever it is might think that it’s just waiting for the search engines,” Anthony explains. “In those cases, the search engines can consider it to be spam and actually penalize them for this attempt.”

Anthony also explains how Nova Solutions can cater to the other parts of SEO that go deeper than just keywords. “For example, did you know that website speed also affects your rank in the search engines?” he asks. “Or the importance of meta tags within your copy? Many people don’t even know what they are, and yet they’re a crucial tool for SEO effectiveness.” In addition, search engines are also attracted to certain types of copy, in terms of the length and the content, on your website. All of these things might escape business owners trying to build up their SEO.

The Time Constraints

Any kind of internet marketing initiative takes time to do it right. That’s another reason why it might be best for you as a nascent business owner to seek out professional advice from companies like Nova Solutions.

The world of SEO is far from static. It’s an ever-changing beast that can swallow up whole the business that doesn’t really have the experience or expertise to slay it.

“When you’re running the day-to-day operations of a business, it’s likely that you delegate certain aspects to co-workers or employees or whatever,” Anthony says. “Yet a lot of people think because they have a little bit of technical knowledge or internet savvy they can take on SEO, which is extremely involved. Doing it right can make the difference between a business that fails or one that powers through the hard early times and becomes competitive.”

The SEO world is complex and requires constant monitoring. But a marketing company can be the answer for a self-run business. No matter who you choose, make sure they tailor their services to the specific needs of your company. And remember that the do-it-yourself attitude that helped you start your own business occasionally needs to be tempered with discretion. This is especially true when it comes to an SEO plan.

The post The Dangers of Do-It-Yourself SEO appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2017/10/29/dangers-do-it-yourself-seo/

Make Business Travel More Enjoyable with Bluetooth Wireless Headsets

Do you travel a lot for your business? If so, all that time spent sitting around in airports and being aboard a plane can get really old after a while, can’t it? To make things more enjoyable for yourself, consider picking up one of these Bluetooth wireless headsets.

Bluetooth wireless headsets make up one of the fastest growing wireless markets around the world. Headsets with Bluetooth wireless technology are capable of working with a variety of Bluetooth-enabled devices. Think of cell phones, hand-held computers (or PDAs), and digital music devices such as the iPod.

Unlike conventional headsets, Bluetooth headsets do not require wires of any sort. Instead, they receive information from your portable device through 2.4GHz radio waves. The range of communication for most headsets is somewhere around 10 feet, which is usually plenty long.

Not surprisingly, there is a wide variety of Bluetooth wireless headsets out there. So it really comes down to tastes in styles and preferred features as to which one is right for you. You’ll want to make sure, for instance, that your Bluetooth device—whether it be an iPod, a laptop, or a PDA—will work with your chosen headphones. Here we list some of the most popular Bluetooth headsets and their relevant features.

Logitech Mobile Bluetooth Wireless Headset

Logitech’s Bluetooth wireless headset is a real competitor in the market. It is a solid product with a dependable brand name, fully capable of providing sound connection between your cell phone and the headset. The device is entirely compatible with most major Bluetooth phones, but you might have to look into its compatibility with other devices.

Like most headsets, the device can clip easily to either ear. It comes with an adjustable swing-out boom that includes a noise-blocking microphone. The battery unit is rechargeable and is capable of giving you about 7 hours of talk time.

While you’re traveling you can switch to VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) with an extra bit of equipment known as an analog telephone adapter, or ATA for short. You’ll also need a broadband high speed Internet service such as DSL or cable in order to use this innovation. That’s because VoIP depends on a high speed internet connection in order to work properly. However, it will enable you to make calls using your analog phone.

For more help, access the business VoIP phone headset review here.

RELATED ARTICLE: 5 MUST-HAVE GADGETS FOR BUSINESS TRAVEL

Motorola Bluetooth Headsets

Motorola currently has two stylish Bluetooth wireless headsets on the market, both similar in style and shape. They are the HS810 and the HS820.

Both of these devices can communicate with Bluetooth 1.1-compliant devices. This includes handsets, PDAs and computers as well as the Motorola V600 and V710 phones. The HS810 and HS820 each weigh about 20 grams. The HS820 has a slightly longer talk time range of 6 hours, compared with the HS810’s 5 hours max. However, they both can run on standby for 100 hours.

What’s more, the HS820 can communicate with your phone from up to 33 feet away. It is equipped with conference calling and voice dialing as well. The HS810 sells for $99 and the HS820 for $79.

Motorola has also just released another model—and my top pick—the HS850. As a matter of fact, anyone lucky enough to have tested and reviewed this device so far has given it high marks.

Like its predecessors, the HS850 has a simple yet attractive design. The main casing is black, with silver around the control area. One of the more innovative features of this device is the flip-on connection system. This enables the headset to connect with your phone as soon as you flip it open.

Jabra FreeSpeak Bluetooth Wireless Headsets

Jabra, a leading provider of hands-free communication devices, is optimistic about its newest headset, the recently released Jabra FreeSpeak FS258. Weighing only 23 grams, the FS258 is the lightest behind-the-ear device Jabra produces. The company is encouraged by a new trend in several states in the US towards banning the use of cell phones while driving.

The post Make Business Travel More Enjoyable with Bluetooth Wireless Headsets appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2017/10/29/bluetooth-wireless-headsets/

Planning to Launch an E-Commerce Business? Here’s How to Do It Right

Image:Pixabay.com

Planning to Launch an E-Commerce Business? Here’s How to Do It Right

Launching an e-commerce business isn’t for the faint of heart. Even if you have the most brilliant idea for a product or service, you still have lots of competition to face and some tough challenges to overcome. What’s more, with all the other e-commerce businesses and entrepreneurs already out there nowadays, it can be downright impossible to stand out and carve a niche for yourself.

However, it’s still possible to launch a successful e-commerce business. You just need to do it right. Here’s what you need to know.

RELATED ARTICLE: HOW TO SUCCEED WITH AN ONLINE BUSINESS

Familiarize Yourself with Your Competitors

Are you planning to launch your own e-commerce business site (which is a challenge enough in itself)? Or would you like to make things easier for yourself by becoming an Amazon seller? Either way, it’s important that you get to know your competitors.

This is particularly true if you become an Amazon seller. That’s because, as you know very well, there’s a lot of competition in that field. There are plenty of other e-commerce entrepreneurs who are already selling the same product you’re planning to sell.

However, if you know what your competitors are offering along with that product and you know their pricing, you can make adjustments accordingly. For instance, to make sure that your product’s pricing is attractive and effective, make use of tools such as Feedvisor’s Amazon repricer.

Formulate a Plan

Even if you consider yourself just a small e-commerce entrepreneur, you should still have a plan. Don’t go into an e-commerce business in a haphazard way. That devil-may-care attitude might serve you well in other areas of your life, but in business, it could cost you your dream. Instead, formulate a plan, even if it’s as simple as creating a goal to make a certain amount of money by the end of the year.

If you don’t have a plan, you don’t have any direction. A business plan is also essential for when challenges come your way later on. A good business plan will help to keep you grounded and give you the motivation you need.

Create a Strong Presence

If you are competing with a lot of other e-commerce entrepreneurs, you will need to find a way to distinguish yourself. This is especially true if you are planning to sell your products on Amazon.

It’s essential to create a strong presence with good product images, as well as detailed and interesting product descriptions. You’ll also want to cultivate positive product reviews and testimonials by giving excellent customer service. Pay attention to how you market your product online, and you’ll reap the rewards before you know it.

Get as Much as Possible from Social Media

Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are your best friends. They allow you to establish a connection with potential and existing customers. Plus, they give you lots of chances to promote your products in an effective and low-cost way. Don’t forget to use them.

The post Planning to Launch an E-Commerce Business? Here’s How to Do It Right appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2017/10/29/launch-e-commerce-business-right/

Top Mistakes That Get CEOs Fired

CEOs have constant oversight by three key stakeholders. These are customers, employees, and the board of directors, who represent investors. If any stakeholder group becomes sufficiently unhappy with a CEO’s performance, it’s likely that the company will remove him or her, often quite publicly.

The company often gives the media one of several reasons when it fires a CEO. Perhaps at the height of a mishandled crisis, the CEO, under pressure, said something they shouldn’t have. They were too lenient with a top executive who had been offensive to employees or the public. The company repeatedly failed to meet revenue targets and the CEO gave no explanation or offered any plan that would fix the problem. In many cases, however, the public reason wasn’t the real reason at all why the termination took place. It was simply a convenient excuse.

I spoke with Gail Meneley, co-founder and advisor at Shields Meneley Partners, the leading advisory firm for top executives in career transitions, about what she’s observed about the majority of CEOs who have come to her after termination. We talked mistakes, regrets, and reborn careers—and what current (and aspiring) CEOs should avoid. Here are her top picks:

1. Failing to Evolve with the Company

CEOs are often founders or early employees in the company. Therefore, they still think of it as it was when they joined. Small, close-knit, and with everyone happily wearing a bunch of different hats. What we’ve learned is that the profile of a successful start-up entrepreneur is very different from that of a large company CEO. The competencies needed to lead a company that disrupts an industry with a new business model are very different than those needed to scale and manage a large, high-growth enterprise.

Travis Kalanick, co-founder and former CEO of ridesharing innovator Uber, is a stunning example of an incredibly intelligent CEO who didn’t have the experience to lead a multi-billion company. The company had an especially difficult year. However, the the main issues—a sexual harassment suit, an ensuing federal investigation, and Kalanick’s tirade against a driver that was captured on social media—suggested that Kalanick was immature. He showed himself unwilling to confront the real issues. Instead, he elected to ignore the problem, hide from it, and use intimidation to keep people in line.

Many CEOs don’t have the experience or the background to lead a fast growing company. What they do have is an eye for innovation and growth and a passion for the business. The missing link is partnering with a confidential career coach and advisor who can teach them what they don’t know when it comes to leadership and management. Having someone who will listen to the challenges they are facing without judgment, and help them develop their own solution, is invaluable.

2. Trying to Fix What Isn’t Broken

The urge to start fresh and fix several problems at once is quite common for new CEOs who want to make their mark. It’s often hard for them to keep their hands off the business—even the parts that are doing just fine. When you inherit a company with a great legacy that’s facing significant issues, focus on the big problems. Trying to install a new vision prematurely may halt keystone projects or disrupt important revenue streams.

Mark Fields, former CEO of Ford, learned this lesson the hard way. He inherited a cultural icon that was having trouble adapting to new technology and customer expectations. But—and this is the critical part—the company still had a solid foundation, a phenomenal culture, and hyper-focused management systems. If Fields had focused more on building Ford’s existing greatness, instead of tinkering with what was already working, he might still hold the title of CEO.

If you’re not the first CEO your company has had, keep your eye on the future. At the same time, value the strengths of the company you now serve. Build on the greatness that already exists.

3. Being a Control Freak

People who make it to CEO tend to be cut from a different cloth than other people. In the best case, they’re more willing to take calculated risks, have a bias toward action, are great communicators and inspired leaders. However, some CEOs get too deep in the weeds. They end up micromanaging their company and their direct reports.

The chief executive sets the tone of the company. So unless they’ve given you a reason to doubt them, trust that the team is capable of doing its job.

Unfortunately, Jeff Kindler, former CEO of Pfizer, learned this the hard way. The former litigator—a profession in which keeping your cool is essentially part of the job description—ended his tenure at the drug behemoth with Fortune’s exposé-style article about his management style. This otherwise talented, shining-star professional didn’t handle the pressure of leading one of the biggest drug companies in the world.

Your job is to keep your cool under pressure. Don’t question the judgment of direct reports or resist new ideas when you hear them. Encourage others to experiment and innovate, and trust that they are committed to the company’s success. If you no longer trust someone, you have a very different problem. Address it now, not later.

These are tough calls. If you don’t have a trusted advisor, find one. A professional career coach can make all the difference to your future.

About the Author

Atanu Shaw has been working in the digital marketing industry for the past 8 years. He has a knack for elegant traffic growth hacks, requiring little investment and creative content marketing. He also writes for Huffington Post (USA), International Business Times (AU), Tech.co, E27 and many other sites.

The post Top Mistakes That Get CEOs Fired appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2017/10/29/mistakes-ceos-fired/

Thursday, 26 October 2017

Use Video to Expand Your Reach and Boost Your Company’s Image

Promoting your business by video might seem like an exotic idea at first. However, it can be one of the most cost-effective ways of promoting your business. With video, you’ll be able to expand your business’s reach all around the world.

In fact, you can give your potential customers and clients a great initial image of your business by creating videos with high visual impact. A properly managed video campaign could end up being the best move you ever made for your company. That’s because people love them, and many find it easier to learn from images than from a written article.

However, it is not enough just to put together some beautiful images. You’ll need quality content as well. Here are some tips to help you build the perfect video marketing campaign.

Choose Your Main Idea

Whether you’re producing a single video or a series, choose a theme. Maybe you want to educate potential customers about your product. Or you could be offering training in how to operate something you sell.

Put together some tutorials for a service you offer so that people can more easily learn about what it is you do. A visual explanation works better for many people. It can be more interesting and easier to understand than a written tutorial.

In either case, invest in some video subtitling. Subtitles can make your video more accessible to more people. It can help your audience to better understand what you’re trying to get across.

As always, be clear about who is in your target audience and speak directly and authentically to them. The best videos out there are made by people who come across as caring and supportive. They make the viewer feel as if they’re speaking directly to them. That can’t be faked. So take some time. Do some mirror work ahead of time, lots of it, so you’ll have a better idea of how you’ll come across on the screen.

Finally, pay attention to the visual impact of the video itself, because that’s what people will remember the most.

Don’t Forget About Details

Think about the places where you will use your business video presentation. You might be attending a conference, or maybe you just plan to use your video in small meetings where you need to talk about yourself or your company.

On the other hand, consider using video in emails to potential customers. You can also embed videos on your website as a way of drawing traffic in.

Wherever you share it, be sure to produce your videos with a certain degree of professionalism so that your viewers will perceive your company in a better light.

Details matter, especially with videos. If you are not careful you can end up losing your audience quickly for something as simple as poor lighting or bad editing.

Track the Results

After you take your video live, you will want to find out how many people are watching it and how it’s being perceived. On YouTube, it’s pretty easy to do that.

So consider setting up a YouTube channel where you can post daily vlogs or other similar video promotion campaigns. Who knows? If you get good enough, one of your videos—or even a series of them—could go viral. And isn’t that what everyone wants? If that happens, not only will your business gain credibility, but your videos, too, will become a passive income stream.

If in the process your viewers ask for more of the same from you or even ask you to expand on your current video material, don’t hesitate to give them what they want.

So whether you embed a couple of training videos on your website or launch a full-scale YouTube campaign, consider using video to promote your business.

The post Use Video to Expand Your Reach and Boost Your Company’s Image appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2017/10/26/business-video/

Wednesday, 25 October 2017

The Importance of Finding the Right Suppliers for Your New Restaurant

It’s the dream of everyone who has ever whipped up a meal for their family and friends and been told that the meal was a ringing success: starting one’s own restaurant. Many people have this dream. However, they neglect some of the nuts and bolts of the operation. There’s more to running a restaurant than just making meals and seeing the smiling faces of your customers at the end of it.

One of the things that any business has to deal with is finding the right suppliers. In the case of a restaurant owner, that means finding food suppliers, appliance suppliers, and parts suppliers for those appliances. In each of these cases, the restaurant owner can ideally find suppliers with whom they can build a long-lasting relationship. If you can do this correctly, you should be able to cut costs at your restaurant and provide your customers with a dining experience that’s top of the line.

You may not know how crucial this is. But you’ll need to know where to find, for example, Beverage Air refrigerator parts. You’ll understand this better once you start your restaurant. Here are some of the ways to ensure that your owner-supplier relationships are as beneficial as possible.

Make a List

When it comes down to it, the only way you can ensure that you’ll have everything you need for your restaurant is to completely inventory everything you need. In doing this you have to be detailed as possible. And think beyond the obvious. If you’re going to use a Beverage Air refrigerator to display behind the counter the drinks you have available, for example, you also need to have access to Beverage Air refrigerator parts should the appliance break down. Most likely, you’ll have separate suppliers for different aspects of your business. However, you won’t be able to determine this until you make a thorough list of what you need.

See the Goods

You should expect suppliers to have some kind of catalog which shows the extent of their wares. Maybe they have this on their website, or they can provide you with a physical copy. In any case, it should be professionally done. It should also include detailed information about the products and the prices. In this way, you’ll know if they have what you need. Just as important, you’ll know if they can provide them to you at a reasonable price.

Shop Around

You already know that your small decisions, such as choosing your food processor or deciding upon the color of the napkins, can make a big difference for your restaurant. So don’t be hasty about a big decision like choosing your supplier. Many restaurant owners make the mistake of choosing without looking very long. They’re impatient and they want to get up and running quickly. That can be a mistake that haunts them down the road.

So if you’re ready to make the leap from excellent host to budding restaurateur, keep in mind the importance of suppliers. Choose wisely and your restaurant will be the better for it.

The post The Importance of Finding the Right Suppliers for Your New Restaurant appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2017/10/25/right-supplier-new-restaurant/

Why Cheques Make Sense for Your Small Business

We live in an age of technology, and nearly everything is digitized. Physical products are often devalued in favor of information passed among computers and handheld devices. This modernization process has also infiltrated the financial world, and cheques might seem to have gone the way of the dinosaur. Many transactions take place with a swipe of a card, some simple data entry on a computer, or some sensors passed in front of a screen.

The cheque is still a worthwhile financial instrument for small businesses, however. Even though it might seem like an old-fashioned method of payment, it has several advantages over digital payments. The cheque has survived for centuries, and there are reasons why it isn’t going anywhere soon.

So if you’ve started your own business recently, find a place to get the best variety and quality of cheques. Here are some of the reasons why they’re still a great way to make and receive payments.

Many Businesses Prefer Them

If you’re making B2B payments, a cheque might be the only method with which you can get this done. Credit card processing often contains hidden fees for the merchant, which means that many businesses shun payments by credit card if possible. In addition, certain local tradesmen only accept cheques for payments, so if you don’t have them, you might not be able to hire them for their services. And that could mean paying higher prices for others from further away to come and do the work.

The Paper Trail

If you want to keep the closest tabs on your payments and receipt of payments, paper cheques again are a great idea for your business. You can even pick up ones that allow you to immediately tear off a copy for your records. This can be useful come tax time, in case the tax officials want to see a paper trail during an audit. Having the paper evidence also helps to prevent fraud. In addition, many people struggle to read the information from credit card statements. Writing in the register a record of all the cheques you have coming and going will eliminate this problem. As a small-business owner, eliminating problems is invaluable.

Other Benefits

There are other benefits to small businesses still writing and receiving cheques to do business. For example, there’s the little bit of advertising you can do with a well designed cheque. It can make a great impression on the people who receive it. It also provides handy information that the receiver will be able to file away in their records. In addition, there is the little lag that the sender of a cheque gets between the time when they send the cheque and when the recipient cashes it. That can come into play if cash flow is lagging when the payment is required.

So it’s a good idea not to write off cheques, at least for now. As a matter of fact, if you own a small business, the cheque can be your best friend.

The post Why Cheques Make Sense for Your Small Business appeared first on Business Opportunities.

source http://www.business-opportunities.biz/2017/10/25/cheques-make-sense-small-business/

Tuesday, 24 October 2017

PCB Design Tips to Maximize Cooling and Avoid Overheating

PCB stands for “printed circuit board,” and it refers to thin fiberglass boards that are etched with conductive pathways and used in computers. As a matter of fact, PCB’s make possible the digital age that you and I depend on in our modern lives.

Good PCB design is important to every project. That’s because the PCB acts as the link between the physical and the electrical parts of the project. Therefore, PCB designers need to find the best solutions. They need to ensure that each PCB meets all the requirements for the test platforms, test engineering, test manufacturing and test assembling.

The design processes of the PCB have become increasingly complex. Therefore, it’s important for designers to understand how to come up with the best designs to keep the PCB at low temperatures and avoid overheating.

Below are PCB design tips and tricks that designers need to learn about PCB layouts.

Component Placement

When placing the component parts, make sure to place them on the top side of the board. Also ensure that the snap-to-grid setting is on. Then place all the components in their specific locations, giving extra care to the trace lengths.

The parts that you are placing are switches, connectors, mounting holes for LED’s, heat sinks and anything else that needs mounting to an external location. All the parts that connect to each other should be together. Doing all this well will make it easier to lay the traces.

Aligning

Arrange all the integrated circuits, or IC’s, in orientations of up and down or left and right. Pin one of the IC should align well with the place for every orientation, which is either on the left side or on the top. Align polarized parts with positive leads that have the same orientation. When doing all this, mark with a square pad all the positive component leads. This saves you time and leaves good spaces between IC’s.

Placement

If you have parts that are not in the component library, replace them with individual pads before grouping them together. Further, make sure the measurements of the pin spacing and the pin diameter are correct to avoid any problems. For the measurements, use calipers or a dial.

After placement make a printout copy of the layout. Ensure that there is enough resting space for the parts. They should not come close to each other.

Ground Traces and Power Pacing

The next step is to lay the ground traces and the power. Your power should be consistent and reliable before working with IC’s. Your ground lines, too, should be strong and solid enough to avoid any mishaps and outages. Therefore, use wide traces to connect to the rails for each supply. Additionally, try to avoid daisy chaining or snaking the power at any one time.

Signal Traces

Make signal traces as direct and as short as possible when you’re placing them. Use feed-through holes to move all the signals from layer to layer. The best way to lay this is with the vertical traces on one side and the horizontal traces on the other. Furthermore, do not forget about the spaces between the trace and the nearest pads, which should be a small gap of 0.007″ between items. Importantly, this helps to prevent short circuits.

Inspection

Finally, make a thorough inspection of your work to make sure everything is as it should be. The most important things to check on are the routing system of every signal and the wiring. With the routing system, make sure there is nothing missing.

Then, ensure that the wiring is correct. Check this by running through your schematics and inspect one wire at a time. Make sure the path of every trace on your PCB layout is the same as the one in your schematic. On confirmation, mark the schematic signal with a highlighter.

Check your PCB bottom and top layouts, ensuring that there are no gaps between items. Check for any missing pathways, called “vias,” that are not automatically inserted. You need to check them by printing the top layer first and then the bottom layer. Then do a visual check on all the sides of the traces.

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